After several days of speculation, Kweichow Moutai, the famed Chinese baijiu liquor maker, finally addressed the rumours regarding Chinese singer and actor Lay Zhang Yixing (张艺兴), member of K-pop boy band EXO and its Mandarin subgroup EXO-M, becoming its first brand ambassador. On 7 May, Kweichow Moutai announced on its social channels that it had indeed recruited Lay Zhang as a brand ambassador, but not for the liquor brand. Zhang was named the brand ambassador for Moutai Culture & Tourism, a subsidiary of the wider Moutai Group.
It is, however, consistent with the initial rumour that Zhang would make an appearance at a Moutai-hosted music festival, as Moutai Culture and Tourism also announced a music and art festival in Guizhou, between 17 and 18 May, featuring Zhang.
- #茅台回应首位代言人张艺兴 Moutai responds to (reports of) first brand ambassador Lay Zhang: 130 million views on Weibo, ranking number 2 on the Hot Search list
- #茅台文旅代言人张艺兴 Moutai Culture & Tourism ambassador Lay Zhang: 140 million views on Weibo, ranking number 2 on the Hot Search list
The prestigious brand positioning of the baijiu brand and the huge fan base of Lay Zhang ensured that the topic would break the internet. However, people were suspicious because Moutai’s brand image has always seemed to be aimed at older gentlemen. This is, of course, the reason why the unexpected Luckin Coffee collab and Moutai’s ice cream both went viral when released. The culture and tourism position, of course, fits Zhang much better, especially when the music festival is also mostly aimed at younger consumers. However, with Moutai scaling back its ice cream line after the loss of interest from younger generations, it needs to be further monitored whether the culture and tourism move with Lay Zhang will be successful.
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